Indore | Senior Madhya Pradesh Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya has triggered a political firestorm after he used an objectionable word on camera when sharply questioned by a TV journalist about a deadly water contamination crisis in his own constituency in Indore.
The incident occurred late Wednesday night while Vijayvargiya, the state's Urban Development and Housing Minister, was interacting with the media regarding the diarrhoea outbreak in Indore's Bhagirathpura area.
Officially the death toll is four and 212 people hospitalised, but residents of the affected area claimed that over 10 people have lost their lives so far.
The minister, who was returning from the area, was confronted by NDTV reporter Anurag Dwary, who asked Vijayvargiya why residents had not been reimbursed for the bills paid to private hospitals and why clean water arrangements remained inadequate.
Flanked by his supporters and officials, the minister snapped at the reporter, asking him to refrain from asking such "fokat (useless) questions". However, the reporter continued to press for an answer, leading to a heated argument during which the senior BJP leader used a derogatory term.
The minister is heard using the word "ghanta", a slang term often used loosely to mean "nonsense" or "rubbish", to dismiss the reporter's question in the video which has gone viral on social media.
As the viral video led to a backlash for using the objectionable words on camera, Vijayvargiya issued a statement on social media expressing regret for his conduct.
"My team and I have been working in the affected area for the past two days without sleep," he said, adding "my people are suffering and some have lost their lives. In this state of deep grief, my words came out wrong in response to a media question. I express my regret for this." Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee president Jitu Patwari shared the video on social media, claiming that "deaths due to toxic water in Indore had risen from eight to 10".
He accused BJP leaders of arrogance and demanded that Chief Minister Mohan Yadav seek Vijayvargiya's resignation on moral grounds.
Yadav on Wednesday described the diarrhoea outbreak caused by contaminated drinking water in the Bhagirthpura area as an "emergency-like situation" and assured strict action against those responsible.
He said 212 patients were hospitalised, of whom 50 had been discharged after recovery.
